


by the water fountain

by idkalysia



Series: works ash may or may not finish [2]
Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Anne's a freshie, Diana ships it, Doctor Gilbert Blythe, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Gen, Gilbert's a sophomore, Helpful Cole, Jealous Gilbert Blythe, Songfic, art major cole, but babey too, english major anne, gilbert and anne both love disney, hes so stupid, music major diana, perhaps, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22207984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idkalysia/pseuds/idkalysia
Summary: “Bash, is it possible to lose something you never had?”In which Gilbert Blythe realizes how wrong he was.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, Roy Gardner/Anne Shirley
Series: works ash may or may not finish [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2076579
Comments: 7
Kudos: 54





	by the water fountain

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work for the fandom, but I'm rlly inspired rn!. This work is loosely based on the song "Water Fountain" by Alec Benjamin. :)

Gilbert Blythe could describe himself in many ways. He believed himself to be a man of great ambition, charm, strength, and intelligence.

(Cole Mackenzie called him a conceited asshole for that.)

In fact, if you asked Cole at that moment to describe his best friend, the only word he would use would be _frustrating_ , especially as he tried to convince him to do something he so vehemently refused.

Cole paced around their dorm room as he tried for the third time that week to convince his friend to come to a Halloween party with him. "Come on Gilbert! You're always complaining that we never do anything, and now we're invited to Phillipa Gordon’s Halloween party and you don't wanna go?. It'll be fun, and you need to get out more." Cole sighed as Gilbert shook his head, looking again to his anatomy textbook and the amount of work he had left to complete before his next class. "The work will still be there when we get back. If you sit on your ass your entire college career it's going to be over before you know it!"

Gilbert knew Cole was right, but he wasn’t going to give up that easily. The man knew that if he gave into his friend so quickly, the other would never let him live it down. More importantly, perhaps, was the fact that the major he had chosen was probably the most difficult in the school. He knew Cole would probably call him overdramatic for that statement, but sometimes it felt like it truly was the case. He _needed_ to do his homework, and he couldn’t trust himself to do it later.

"I know that Mackenzie, but the work isn't going to do itself here. Plus I actually like this stuff!" Gilbert had wanted to be a doctor as long as he could remember. He was on track for that dream to become a reality, and kindergarten Gilbert would be incredibly proud of his 20 year old self. "Doctors can't slack off and go to parties whenever they want."

Cole groaned, flopping onto his bed and glaring at his roommate. As much as he loved Gilbert, the boy was so _boring_ sometimes. It had been a little bit less than a year since he had gone to a party, and many of Cole's other friends assumed his best friend was either made up or a hermit. He was tired of explaining to people that he was just very, very, _very,_ studious. Most people probably assumed he was insane. Cole was going to get Gilbert Blythe to go to that party if it was the last thing he did. 

"It's one assignment, Blythe! And knowing you, you'll get it done even if you do go.” Cole continue even as he watched Gilbert fully deny that statement. “Which you are going to do because you love me and didn't get me a birthday present in 6th grade." Cole smirked jokingly and crossed his arms at Gilbert.

"It was one time! And I apologized!"

"Still!"

"You are frustrating, Cole Mackenzie." 

Cole laughed at his friend. He knew Gilbert well enough to realize that he was warming up to the idea. 

"Really though Gil, I just want you to have fun at least _one_ time in your life. You're always either studying or reading or in class or sleeping. Who can you use your so called 'charm' on if you don't talk to any women? This will be fun, trust me. You'll meet new people and dance and forget about your anatomy assignment by the time you walk in the door. I already got you a costume.." Cole reached over to his bag and pulled out a pirate costume he had found in the lost and found and washed, as per the ways of a college student. "All you need is an eyepatch and a parrot!"

Gilbert smiled sincerely at Cole, silently thanking him for thinking of his mental health. He knew he definitely didn't think about it as he worked, or rather struggled, through pre-med. He knew he needed a break but was so stubborn he would never admit to Cole that he'd wanted to go since the beginning. Life worked in mysterious ways, so maybe this party was something he should do. The universe knew he needed this.

"I won't have fun worrying about my assignment the entire time, but fine. I'll go." Gilbert grinned at his roommate as the other boy jumped around the room, finally getting to bring his best friend to a party. "Say Cole, do you not have homework right now too?"

"I'm an art major, Gilbert."

"Right."

* * *

Anne Shirley-Cuthbert's freshman year of college was already much better than she ever could've imagined. She sat at her bedroom window in her dorm room, staring out the window as she considered her life at that very moment.

She’d been worried when the year started that she’d be an outcast, just as she’d felt for most of her life before Matthew and Marilla had adopted her. Making friends was, admittedly, not exactly her forte. She cringed, remembering how the girls back in middle school had reacted to her poor social skills and her apparent inability to say the right thing. 

Though it’d been almost 6 years since then, it was always terrifying for Anne to acknowledge that life involves the inclusion of new people almost every day. Anne would’ve loved to bring her little Avonlea to college with her, for the least amount of change possible, but of course this wasn’t possible.

Change was always the scariest thing for Anne.

Anne was happy, even with her homesickness. She had her darling Diana as her roommate, after all, and the university was large. There was many new people to meet and perhaps she could meet another kindred spirit. Though it was frightening to Anne, she wasn’t one to deny admission that new people can make life more beautiful.

“Anne!” Diana ran into the room, clutching a small piece of paper. She looked quite out of breath, as if she’d been running. “We’ve been invited to a _party_.”

Anne’s eyes widened as she grabbed the note from Diana’s hand. Phillipa Gordon’s Halloween party, which seemed to be directed towards the younger students. This gave her a bit of peace of mind as most people would be about her age.

Her first college party! The idea of it all gave her a thrill. Her thoughts from before of not being able to make friends vanished from her mind as she imagined the new faces she would see, the music, and all the costumes.

“Good thing I’ve already finished my assignments for this week!” Anne giggled as she rifled through her closet and considered what she could wear. Marilla, being an older woman, had always been more practical and Anne’s wardrobe considerably showed it. Basic colors could be cute at times, but Anne was disappointed to realize she didn’t have a clue how to create a costume out of what she had. 

“Of course you have Anne. Didn’t you have, like, three essays? How on earth did you finish them so quickly! Ah, the tricks of an English major.” Diana shook her head at her bosom friend, and opened her closet for Anne to see the costumes she had chosen for them. She heard a small gasp as Anne looked through what her friend had gotten and a meek ‘thank you Diana!’

The party was on Saturday, but Anne and Diana had their what they needed ready by Wednesday. Everything felt so unreal, so different. Diana knew Anne needed this party, she needed to find something, someone, anything. She just hoped with all her heart, for the sake of her Anne, that one tall, curly haired boy would not be there. 

* * *

The first thing Gilbert considered about this party was that it was _loud_. Because he hadn’t been to one of these things in a while, it was definitely not something he was used to. He stood outside the huge house and covered his ears slightly, trying to adjust to the great volume change.

He waved at Cole to go on ahead without him, and sat on a bench near a beautiful tree in the park in front of the house. He didn’t know why the music had affected him so much, but he knew it was just something he had to get used to. He really wished he’d brought ear plugs, though.

Gilbert decided a bottle of water before he entered was a good idea as well, knowing he’d probably offered drinks left and right when he got inside. Sitting on his little bench near his big tree, he chugged the water as quickly as he could and sighed. He truly was glad Cole had practically forced him to come to this party. 

Observing people had always been one of Gilbert’s favorite pastimes. He’d been called creepy a few times before, but people’s differences and similarities had always taught him something about them. He watched as college students dressed as witches, sailors, superheroes, and other characters walked into Phillipa Gordon’s house. He tugged on the collar of his pirate costume, having added a hook to it for his own personal touch. Somehow, he felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be but also out of place. 

The man shrugged, and decided it was time to go in. Checking his watch, he realized he’d been sitting outside for almost twenty minutes, and he’d left Cole all by himself. That could only mean trouble.

As he began his trip back across the street to the party, he continued to observe the other students. There was an awesome C-3PO costume, his matching R2-D2, a doctor and a nurse, Diana Barry, Spider-Man and Iron Man, Harry Potter and-

Gilbert stopped in his tracks as he realized what he was seeing. 

Of course, he knew Anne and Diana went to this university. Avonlea was a small town, and everyone knew pretty much everything about everyone. But he hadn’t spoken to the two since his senior year of high school, _two years_. It felt as if it had been forever. Gilbert wondered if Cole knew the two had also been invited, but considered that almost the entire freshman and sophomore classes had been. Just his luck, of course. He wondered if Anne was at this party at all. 

This was about to get _interesting_.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please let me know thoughts, opinions, and just generally anything in the comments :), kudos are appreciated <3


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